11 MAY 2003

We give the assurance of our thoughts and prayers to all who are unwell, awaiting or undergoing treatment, or anxious or grieving for the loss of loved ones.

General Church Meeting

The GCM today after worship is the “official occasion” at which ALL who belong to Dundee Methodist Church may share in discussion and decision about our life together — as a congregation, a community in relationship with others, and as part of the Angus Dundee & Perthshire Circuit and wider Methodism. It is important that there is good support.

Please note the following, which will form part of the meeting:

• Election of Church Stewards & representatives
• Finance report & Stewards’ Report
• Our life together — the “small groups’ process”
• Circuit staffing and resourcing — “opportunity knocks”

Pastoral Committee

Members are asked to meet together immediately after worship today to fix a date for the postponed meeting and to collect any necessary papers. (JHE)

Traidcraft Orders

First supply of goods here today - please look on table at back of church and / or see Margaret.

Meetings this Week

Support other organisations

Christian Aid Week — this week

• If you do not receive an envelope through your local house-to-house collection and wish to support the work of Christian Aid now, please take an envelope from the Vestibule table and return it or any Christian Aid envelope to Margaret.
• Christian Aid News - on the table - take, read, campaign, …
• See Prayer points in the news-sheet this & every week; a (daily) Prayer Dairy is published by Christian Aid — see Margaret.
• See Christian Aid website for more details.

“Security has improved sufficiently to allow United Nations humanitarian relief staff to return to Iraq, although the law and order situation is still causing great concern. Based in Baghdad, Erbil and Basra, the UN has pledged to coordinate emergency relief efforts and fill gaps in humanitarian assistance, particularly in provision of basic services.”

“These services suffered because of the extensive damage to infrastructure and the absence of many public employees who cannot work due to transport problems or because they are not being paid.”

Despite some improvements, widespread shortages of drinking water and inadequate sanitation still threaten health throughout Iraq. Sharp increases in the incidence of viral hepatitis, diarrhea and respiratory illnesses, as well as some cases of typhoid, have been reported.”

“Christian Aid has completed an assessment of the situation in Baghdad and the centre of the country with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and the Regional Coordination Office of Action by Churches. The information gathered will be used to plan the next phase of Christian Aid’s work in Iraq.”

Particular work funded through other agencies:

• Norwegian Church Aid provision of mobile water treatment unit in area of Um Qas’r and Basra;
• Distribution of fuel and medical care to families in rural areas;
• Coordination of water and sanitation provision in Kirkuk area;
• Through Iraqi Refugee Aid Council volunteers - food distribution in Missan Province, medical supplies in Basra;
• Iraqi Kurdistan NGO Network coordinating work in the north;
• Human Rights Development Group village-based courses in human rights protection;
• MECC provision of food & relief supplies to displaced families through 50 centres around urban areas;
• Dan Church Aid teams clearing land mines in southern Iraq.

Scottish Bible Society

The Bible-a-Month Club invites our support in May for Bible Society work in Mexico, the world’s largest Spanish-speaking nation. Since 300 other languages are also used with many indigenous groups retaining their own language and culture, Scriptures in local vernaculars are particularly valuable to enable adequate grasp of meaning. See library area noticeboard / contact Jean.

Forthcoming events

Prayer Points for this week

• The President of Conference in the York and Hull District this weekend
• Christian Resources Exhibition, Esher, this week
• The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, next Saturday
• preparations for Wesley Tercentenary celebration, Perth;
• Annual Book sale, Edinburgh, & other events (Christian Aid)
• Adult literacy centres in Hyderabad Diocese Pakistan(FTM Prayer List)
• Bible Society work in Mexico
• The Leprosy Mission’s promotional work in Scandinavia and Hungary
• we pray with and for the peoples of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland
• we remember fellow Methodists in the Gornal and Sedgley Circuit (Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District), and in Kirkcaldy (Edinburgh & Forth Circuit)

• 4th May 2003
• 18th May 2003

© 2002—2003 Dundee Methodist Church.